Women's preferences for misoprostol in case of early pregnancy failure

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the preference of women with early pregnancy failure for treatment with misoprostol as compared to curettage. STUDY DESIGN: Women with early pregnancy failure were interviewed and asked whether they were motivated to trade a non-invasive but potentially less effective treatment with misoprostol at the virtually 100% guarantee of complete evacuation after curettage. All women had a structured interview, in which they were informed about both treatment options. The women were asked for a treatment preference in case the complete evacuation rate after misoprostol was set at 100%. In case the women preferred misoprostol, the complete evacuation rate was subsequently decreased to 10% using steps of 5%. RESULTS: The study group consisted of 64 women with early pregnancy failure. Seven women (11%) did not opt for misoprostol at all, because of fear of pain or bleeding using misoprostol. Fifty percent of the women would prefer misoprostol if its complete evacuation rate exceeds 65%. CONCLUSION: A majority of women would prefer misoprostol over curettage if its complete evacuation rate exceeds 65%.     

Clinical indicators for success of misoprostol treatment after early pregnancy failure.

OBJECTIVE: To identify clinical indicators for success of misoprostol treatment after early pregnancy failure. METHODS: A total of 473 women with early pregnancy failure received 800 microg of vaginal misoprostol on treatment day 1. At the follow-up visit on day 3, a second dose was given if expulsion was incomplete. On day 8, vacuum aspiration was offered if expulsion had not occurred. Ultrasonography was used as gold standard for success. A Classification and Regression Tree analysis was undertaken to derive two decision trees for the success of misoprostol treatment on study days 3 and 8. RESULTS: Heavy bleeding after the first dose and an open cervical os were identified as clinical indicators of treatment success on day 3. Treatment success occurred in 84% of women with either or both indicators. Reporting passage of tissue after a second misoprostol dose and old blood in the vagina were potential indicators of treatment success or failure on day 8. A woman with either of these indicators has a 65% chance of treatment success after the second dose. Conversely, a woman with neither indicator on day 8 has a 94% chance of treatment failure. CONCLUSION: Standard clinical findings may be useful as indicators for success or failure of medical management of early pregnancy failure in settings with limited or no access to ultrasonography. More research to identify even better indicators is warranted.     

Endometrial thickness after misoprostol use for early pregnancy failure.

OBJECTIVES: To assess if there was any potential relationship between endometrial thickness and final treatment outcome in women successfully treated with misoprostol for a first trimester anembryonic gestation, embryonic demise or fetal demise. METHODS: Eighty women were treated with up to two doses of misoprostol 800 microg vaginally for early pregnancy failure. Subjects were scheduled to return 2 (range 1-4), 7 (range 5-9) and 14 (range 12-17) days after treatment. Transvaginal ultrasonography was performed at each follow-up visit. RESULTS: The median endometrial thickness at each of the follow-up visits for women who had expelled the gestational sac was 14 mm, 10 mm, and 7 mm, respectively. The endometrial thickness at the first follow-up visit exceeded 15 mm in 20 subjects (36%) and 30 mm in four subjects (7%). Only three women had a suction aspiration for bleeding after documented expulsion. The endometrial thickness for these women was 11, 13, and 14 mm at the first follow-up visit. CONCLUSIONS: There is no obvious relationship between increasing endometrial thickness and the need for surgical intervention in women treated with misoprostol for early pregnancy failure.     

The combination of mifepristone and misoprostol for the termination of pregnancy

The combination of 200 mg of mifepristone followed by 25 μg to 800 μg (depending on gestational age) of misoprostol has been shown to be effective for the termination of pregnancy throughout gestation. The dose of misoprostol should be reduced as gestational age increases. Mifepristone is not indicated for induction of labor with a live fetus because there are no data to confirm that it does not have a possible deleterious fetal effect. The course of treatment and prerequisites for medical abortion and recommended mifepristone and misoprostol regimens for different gestational ages are described, along with the side effects, management of complications, and postabortion care. The use of the mifepristone-misoprostol combination regimen for induction of labor in cases of fetal death is also described.     

A pilot study on the combined use of letrozole,mifepristone and misoprostol in termination of first trimester pregnancy up to 9 weeks’ gestation

Objective

To assess the feasibility of adding letrozole to the standard regimen of mifepristone and misoprostol for termination of pregnancy up to 63 days.

Study design

We recruited 50 subjects who had requested legal termination of pregnancy up to 63 days. Medical abortion was performed with a singe dose of 200 mg mifepristone and 10 mg of letrozole daily for 3 days followed by 800 mcg vaginal misoprostol.

Results

The complete abortion rate was 98% (95% CI: 94–100%). The median induction-to-abortion interval of the regimen was 5.1 h (range 1.2–56 h). No serious adverse effects were reported.

Conclusions

The results of this pilot study suggest that a regimen of mifepristone, letrozole and misoprostol is associated with a high complete abortion rate without major adverse events.     

Association between gestational age and induction-to-abortion interval in mid-trimester pregnancy termination using misoprostol

Objective

The study was aimed to evaluate the effectiveness, outcome, and pain intensity of the vaginal administration of misoprostol for the induction of abortion between 13 and 24 gestational weeks.

Study design

A retrospective study was conducted at our tertiary medical center from January 2006 to December 2009 on 122 consecutive women who underwent termination of pregnancy (TOP) in the mid-trimester. They were given 400 mcg of vaginal misoprostol every 6 h, up to four doses. The induction-to-abortion interval and the level of pain experienced during the process were assessed. Success was defined by the fetus being expelled within 48 h.

Results

Vaginal misoprostol was effective in 84% (98/122) of patients. The median duration of the induction-to-abortion interval was 16 (5-48) h. The induction-to-abortion interval was correlated with gestational age, while inversely correlated with parity. A correlation was also found between gestational age and pain intensity at 12 h from induction.

Conclusion

Misoprostol is safe and effective in mid-trimester abortion induction. The induction-to-abortion interval is shorter and abortion less painful with lower gestational age. Higher parity is also associated with shorter induction to abortion interval.     

Misoprostol for uterine evacuation in patients with early pregnancy failures

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of misoprostol that is administered intravaginally for uterine evacuation in patients with early pregnancy failures. STUDY DESIGN: From March 2001 through March 2003, we treated 41 patients who had early pregnancy failures with vaginal misoprostol, 800 microg. A second course of misoprostol was administered if uterine evacuation did not occur in 24 hours. Patients who had no response to misoprostol underwent a surgical curettage. Our principal outcome measures were the percentage of patients who had successful evacuation of the products of conception and the frequency of adverse drug effects. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients had successful uterine evacuation with a single course of misoprostol; 6 patients required a second course. The overall success rate was 78% (95% CI, 63, 88). No patient experienced a serious adverse drug effect. CONCLUSION: Intravaginal misoprostol is a safe, effective alternative to surgical curettage for the treatment of early pregnancy failure.     

Randomized controlled trial of misoprostol for second-trimester pregnancy termination associated with fetal malformation

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to compare the effectiveness, women's views of the termination procedure, and success of umbilical cord culture for vaginal and oral misoprostol versus intra-amniotic prostaglandin PGF(2alpha) for second-trimester pregnancy termination (STPT). STUDY DESIGN: We randomized 217 women, 15 to 24 weeks' gestation, into 3 groups. Oral (OM) and vaginal (VM) misoprostol groups received 400 microg of misoprostol every 4 hours for 24 hours. The intra-amniotic PGF(2alpha) (IAPG) group received 40 mg of PGF(2alpha) followed by oxytocin infusion. Women completed self-administered questionnaires 3 weeks after the termination procedure. Umbilical cord samples were collected at delivery for karyotype analysis. The primary outcome was the time from start of the procedure to placental delivery. Secondary outcomes were maternal complications, women's acceptance of the termination procedure, and success rates of umbilical cord culture. RESULTS: The time was longer for the OM group (30.5+/-14.4 hours) compared with the VM group (18.3+/-8.2 hours) and the IAPG group (21.1+/-10.2 hours), P<.001 for both comparisons. Women in the VM group reported being more willing to repeat the termination method in the future and reported fewer side effects than those in the other groups, P<.001. Failure rates for umbilical cord cultures were 9.6%, 17.0%, and 45.6% for the VM, OM, and IAPG groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: Oral misoprostol is less effective than intra-amniotic PGF(2alpha) or vaginal misoprostol for STPT. Women report vaginal misoprostol more acceptable than other methods. Umbilical cord culture failure rate is highest in the IAPG group.     

Dosing interval of 24 hours versus 48 hours between mifepristone and misoprostol administration for mid-trimester termination of pregnancy

Objective

To compare the efficacy of a shorter interval (24 hours) between misoprostol and mifepristone administration with that of the conventional dosing interval (48 hours) for second-trimester termination of pregnancy (TOP).

Methods

This was a prospective randomized, controlled, open-label study of 98 healthy women opting for mid-trimester TOP. The women were randomized to receive 200 mg mifepristone orally, followed 24 hours (Group 1) or 48 hours (Group 2) later by misoprostol (800 μg, then 400 μg every 3 hours). The primary outcome measure was the percentage of successful abortions within 24 hours. Secondary outcome measures were the induction-to-abortion interval (measured from misoprostol administration) and the frequencies of complications and adverse effects.

Results

The rate of successful abortions was similar with the 24-hour and 48-hour dosing intervals (95.8% and 93.6%, respectively; P = 0.38). The mean induction-to-abortion interval was also comparable between the 2 groups (8.6 ± 4.1 hours versus 8.7 ± 3.9 hours; P = 0.37). Nulliparous women and women with a pregnancy duration of 16 weeks or more had a longer induction-to-abortion interval in both groups.

Conclusion

The 24-hour dosing interval between misoprostol and mifepristone administration seems to be as effective as the 48-hour dosing interval for second trimester TOP.Clinical Trial Registry India: CTRI/2011/05/001770.     

Termination of 2nd and 3rd trimester pregnancies with mifepristone and misoprostol

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate our use of the association of mifepristone and misoprostol for terminating second and third trimester pregnancies. Study design: One hundred and six patients undergoing termination of pregnancy between January 1993 and June 1995 in our center were studied. Each patient received 600 mg of mifepristone followed 24 h later by 400 microgrammes of misoprostol every 6 h. Results: The average interval from the first administration of misoprostol to expulsion was 12.5 ± 7.5 h (interval markedly decreased to 9.6 ± 6.3 h in cases of intrauterine fetal death). Conclusion: The efficacy of the association of mifepristone and misoprostol is comparable with that of current regimens with greater ease of utilization and at a much lower cost.     

Misoprostol versus cervagem for the induction of labour to terminate pregnancy in the second and third trimester: a systematic review

AIMS: to compare the benefits and harms of misoprostol to induce labour in the second and third trimester of pregnancy with cervagem. METHODS: MEDLINE was searched using the terms abortion, induced; abortifacient agents; pregnancy, second trimester; pregnancy, third trimester; misoprostol; cervagem; and gemeprost to identify randomised controlled trials in which misoprostol was compared with cervagem, for induction of labour to terminate pregnancy in the second or third trimester. Outcomes included vaginal birth not achieved within 24h; induction to delivery interval; analgesia requirements; blood loss; blood transfusion; surgical evacuation of the uterus; maternal death or serious maternal morbidity; side effects. RESULTS: Six randomised trials were included. Five compared vaginal misoprostol with cervagem [el Refaey H, Hinshaw K, Templeton A. The abortifacient effect of misoprostol in the second trimester: a randomized comparison with gemeprost in patients pre-treated with mifepristone (RU486). Hum Reprod 1993;8(10):1744-6; Ho PC, Chan YF, Lau W. Misoprostol is as effective as gemeprost in termination of second trimester pregnancy when combined with mifepristone: a randomised comparative trial. Contraception 1996;53(5):281-3; Nuutila M, Toivonen J, Ylikorkala O, Halmesmaki E. A comparison between two doses of intravaginal misoprostol and gemeprost for induction of second trimester abortion. Obstetr Gynecol 1997;90(6):896-900; Wong KS, Ngai CS, Wong AY, Tang LC, Ho PC. Vaginal misoprostol compared with vaginal gemeprost in termination of pregnancy: a randomized controlled trial. Contraception 1998;58(4):207-10; Dickinson JE, Godfrey M, Evans SF. Efficacy of intravaginal misoprostol in second trimester termination of pregnancy: a randomized controlled trial. J Mater Fetal Med 1999;7(3):115-9], and one oral misoprostol with gemeprost [Bartley J, Baird DT. A randomised study of misoprostol and gemeprost in combination with mifepristone for induction of abortion in the second trimester of pregnancy. Br J Obstetr Gynaecol 2002;109(11):1290-4]. Vaginal misoprostol compared with cervagem was associated with reduced narcotic analgesia (3 studies, 169 women, RR 0.64 95% CI 0.49-0.84), and surgical evacuation of the uterus (5 studies, 319 women, RR 0.71 95% CI 0.53-0.95). No other statistically significant differences were observed for other outcomes with reported data. In the single trial comparing oral misoprostol with gemeprost, reported outcomes were similar. CONCLUSIONS: Vaginal misoprostol for the termination of second and third trimester of pregnancy appears as effective as cervagem, but information about maternal safety is limited.     

A randomized trial of saline solution-moistened misoprostol versus dry misoprostol for first-trimester pregnancy failure

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to estimate whether the efficacy of treatment with intravaginal misoprostol for first-trimester pregnancy failure is enhanced by the addition of saline solution. STUDY DESIGN: Eighty women with embryonic/fetal death or anembryonic pregnancy were assigned randomly to receive either 800 microg of misoprostol with saline solution (group I, 41 women) or without (group II, 39 women). Treatment was repeated on day 3 if the gestational sac remained. Curettage was performed if the gestational sac remained on day 8 or as necessary during at least 30 days of follow-up. Data were analyzed with the Student t test and the chi(2) or Fisher exact test. RESULTS: By the first follow-up visit, 73% (group I) and 64% (group II) of women passed the gestational sac (P=.38). By the second follow-up visit, expulsion rates were 83% and 87%, respectively (P=.59). Five subjects in each group underwent curettage. CONCLUSION: Misoprostol is effective for the treatment of failed first-trimester pregnancy. The expulsion rate is not improved by adding saline solution.